“Speak.”
“If I succeed in corrupting you, making you forsake God before your plan comes to fruition, then our contract ends right there.”
Hereis’s goal was quite grand, and achieving it would demand considerable effort and time. Jeha, however, intended to withdraw from the contract first by defiling and corrupting Hereis before that could happen.
There was no way Hereis wouldn’t have discerned Jeha’s true intentions. Yet, he had no choice but to accept the condition. And, as expected…
“Understood.”
Hereis nodded, his smile still unwavering. He seemed confident that he wouldn’t be corrupted, no matter what Jeha did. Seeing his composure, a strange stubbornness welled up within Jeha.
‘Hmph, just you wait.’
Jeha snorted inwardly, then rose from his chair.
****
After sending Hereis back to a corner of the slum alley, Jeha returned to his room and, with a somewhat serious expression, confided in Paimon.
“So, the plan is to drag the temple and the name of God through the mud, turning the people completely against them…”
Paimon murmured, idly toying with a strand of their hair. Jeha, slumped in his chair, nodded.
“Hmm…”
Paimon lowered their eyelashes, stroking their chin. Jeha felt a slight pang of apprehension, fearing another lecture. Hadn’t he been scolded last time for making a contract with Hereis on a whim?
“Excellent. You’ve done very well.”
Paimon nodded lightly, speaking almost immediately.
“…Uh… huh?”
Jeha was slightly bewildered by the reaction, which was entirely contrary to his expectations. He scrutinized Paimon’s expression, wondering if they were being sarcastic or genuinely meant what they said. Fortunately, there was no hint of mockery on Paimon’s face.
“…I did well?”
“Indeed.”
“Even good?”
“It is good.”
As Jeha cautiously questioned, Paimon continuously nodded.
“What exactly is so good about it?”
Unable to comprehend, Jeha asked. At that moment, Zephyr, who had remained silent until then, could no longer hold back and quickly interjected.
“Ah, well, isn’t it obvious? It’s because our Master, instead of lounging around with an expression that says living is too much bother, has decided to embark on a grand undertaking that will bring about immense change to the human realm!”
“A grand undertaking?”
“Yes, a grand undertaking! That noble and sublime will to utterly crush the temple and God! Indeed, our Master is undoubtedly born with the qualities to become the Demon King of Demon Kings, the Great Demon King!”
Zephyr clasped both hands tightly together before his chest, his eyes sparkling like a protagonist from a romance manga.
“No, I’m not saying I’ll do it myself… I’m saying I’ll help Hereis a little if I feel like it.”
“Isn’t that one and the same? The mastermind never acts directly but moves through proxies! To use a high priest as a proxy to trample the temple and the name of God! Oh, our Master hasn’t even been the Demon King for long, yet they’re already embarking on such a magnificent endeavor! I, Zephyr, am so moved that my heart swells, and tears blur my vision!”
Zephyr exclaimed with a distinctly theatrical tone and gestures. Paimon, with an impassive face, occasionally nodded in agreement. Jeha watched their unexpected reactions with a bewildered expression, then narrowed his eyes.
“You two… you’re doing this because you think I won’t be bored or idle while I’m doing this, aren’t you? You like it because you think I won’t plot to simply disappear because living is too troublesome.”
Zephyr, whose face had momentarily faltered at Jeha’s words, quickly adopted a solemn expression.
“Master, we, your kin and retainers, have served several masters throughout history, always living in trepidation and anxiety. We constantly worried: ‘How can we make our Master a little less bored, a little less idle? How can we make them live just a little longer? When might they suddenly decide to annihilate themselves?’ The pride and joy of being a race of darkness, opposing the light, were long forgotten. It has been a long era, simply wishing for our Master’s well-being…”
Having said that much, Zephyr clenched his fists tightly.
“But at last, finally, this day has arrived! Unlike our previous Masters, who found everything in the world bothersome, you, Master, have not only forged a contract with a human but have also made a noble and sublime declaration to defile the name of God! With this, we, your kin, your retainers, are finally freed from our days of trembling anxiety, and can at last unleash our instincts as wicked demons to our heart’s content!”
Though his tone and gestures were highly theatrical, the slight moisture in Zephyr’s eyes suggested he was quite sincere. Even Paimon, standing beside him, was nodding with a serious expression.
“You two are truly…”
Jeha muttered, utterly dumbfounded, before pressing a hand to his forehead and shaking his head. He realized then that these two were the type to coddle him no matter what he did, as long as he simply continued to exist.
“Alright, alright. I shouldn’t even bother.”
As Jeha let out a deep sigh, Zephyr approached with a sly smile.
“Master, what do you intend to do first? If you give me a task, I am confident I will execute it perfectly with all my heart and soul.”
Zephyr’s eyes gleamed. He truly looked as if he yearned for a mission.
Indeed, how tedious it must have been for a powerful, high-ranking demon to act as an entertainment squad for a fledgling Demon King. Now that an opportunity for a truly demonic, wicked act had finally arrived, their joy must have been boundless.
“Hmm…”
Jeha rested his elbows on the chair and propped his chin in his hand, lost in thought for a moment.
Paimon and Zephyr seemed eager to fully commit to Hereis’s grand scheme, but Jeha did not. His objective was to fulfill the contract sufficiently and then withdraw. In that case…
“I need to corrupt Hereis.”
Jeha narrowed his eyes, muttering with a rather villainous smile. And he thought to himself, ‘A way to corrupt Hereis, huh…’
‘No matter how devoted a priest is to God, he is still a biological man. And a man’s greatest weakness is, of course…’
“Zephyr.”
“Yes, Master. Just give the order.”
Zephyr answered instantly, as if he had been waiting.
“By any chance, do you know anyone… no, any demons, like succubi or incubi, or something similar?”
“Of course.”
Zephyr replied concisely, then narrowed his eyes slyly and asked, “Shall I have them attend to you tonight? I can round up every succubus and incubus in the vicinity, so you only need to choose the one that perfectly suits your taste. Or perhaps, what about this Zephyr? I am confident I can provide you with unparalleled pleasure and ecstasy.”
At Zephyr’s suggestive gaze, goosebumps erupted all over Jeha’s arms.
“No, not for me! I’m sending them to Hereis! To Hereis!”
Jeha bellowed, crossing his arms defensively over his innocent, lifelong-single body.
“Ah…”
Zephyr displayed a blatant expression of disappointment. However, it didn’t last long. He quickly nodded, his face now focused on the task at hand.
“Understood. I shall immediately find and present the finest succubus or incubus to send to your contractor.”
“Yes, please do.”
Jeha nodded, then hastily stopped Zephyr, who was about to turn and leave.
“Oh, Zephyr.”
“Yes, Master. Do you have further commands?”
“Well… their looks. You saw him, right? Hereis’s face.”
“You mean your contractor? Of course, I did.”
Zephyr nodded. Jeha rubbed his nose awkwardly, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and said, “Hereis is just so… remarkably handsome. To tempt a man like that, the demon’s appearance must be at least… You understand what I mean, right?”
“Aha. Yes, of course. Though they haven’t been presented to you before, the succubus/incubus race themselves are born as unparalleled beauties. They will be more than comparable to your contractor. And naturally, I will select and present only the best of the best among them.”
“Alright. Go on now.”
Jeha waved his hand dismissively, trying to hide his embarrassment. Only after confirming Zephyr had left the room did he inexplicably scratch his forehead.
He would send a beauty to sexually corrupt Hereis. And if the plan succeeded without a hitch, Jeha would neatly extricate himself from the complicated affair.
It was a somewhat underhanded tactic, but what else could he do? After all, the contract itself only extended that far.
If Hereis succumbed entirely to the succubus/incubus, it would simply prove his will was limited, leaving him no room to complain. However… recalling Hereis’s blood-soaked appearance, willing to brave death just to meet Jeha, and his beautiful face as he pleaded so desperately, Jeha felt an inexplicable prick of conscience.
“Am I being too underhanded?”
Jeha quietly asked Paimon.
“Well, if a human cannot even overcome that level of temptation, then they are too weak for our Master to use, aren’t they? It would be better to discard them sooner rather than later.”
“Right? That’s what I thought.”
“Yes, indeed.”
Paimon nodded resolutely. Only then did Jeha feel some of the burden lift from his conscience, leaving him feeling lighter.